Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the FSC decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a forex license in Belize.
The Caribbean's rebuilt licence: Trading in Securities from the Belize FSC under the Securities Industry Act 2021 - US$500,000 capitalisation, standard conditions attached to every licence, the 2023 practitioners' code and annual compliance declarations. The old IFSC flag, re-founded on harder law, on a territorial tax base.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Belize in brief
The re-founded licence with history behind it.
Belize rebuilt its financial-services law from the ground up: the IFSC era ended, the Financial Services Commission took over, and the Securities Industry Act 2021 now governs securities business - with forex and CFD brokers licensed for Trading in Securities under standard conditions attached to every licence. The modern regime has real edges: the FSC's capitalisation requirements put US$500,000 behind a derivatives-trading licensee, the Financial Services Practitioners (Code of Conduct and Best Practices) Regulations 2023 bind conduct, licensees certify compliance annually on prescribed declarations - including that their business will not damage Belize's reputation, and AML runs under the Money Laundering and Terrorism (Prevention) Act with the FSC examining in practice.
Why Belize still earns shortlists: it is one of the longest-running forex flags in the hemisphere - a generation of brokers built books on Belizean licences, so banks, PSPs and technology vendors know exactly what the licence is, and the rebuilt law answered the era's diligence questions without abandoning the jurisdiction's economics. Business tax is territorial in logic and substance-gated; there is no ring-fenced-market access, as with every flag in this tier. For groups that want Caribbean pedigree with a post-reform rulebook, Belize is the balanced answer. We build the company, the capitalisation, the conditions file and the annual compliance machinery end to end.
FSC Trading in Securities licence under the Securities Industry Act 2021: US$500,000 capitalisation, standard conditions on the licence, 2023 practitioners' code, annual compliance declarations - the rebuilt regime on the hemisphere's longest-running forex flag.
Territorial, substance-gated tax; thin treaties - paired deliberately. Global book only; we structure both ends.
The two routes
Trading in Securities - standalone or in a group.
One licence, two builds: the standalone Belize broker for the global book, or the Belize entity as the licensed engine inside a multi-flag group. We fix the architecture first, then build once.
The standalone Belize broker - or the engine in a multi-flag group.
01 - TRADING IN SECURITIES LICENCE
The standalone broker
The full FSC licence: trading in securities and derivatives for a global client book. US$500,000 capitalisation, standard conditions, the 2023 code and the annual declaration calendar handled end to end.
The full FSC licence: trading in securities and derivatives for a global client book. US$500,000 capitalisation, standard conditions, the 2023 code and the annual declaration calendar handled end to end.
- ✓Trading in securities and derivatives
- ✓US$500,000 capitalisation
- ✓Standard conditions on the licence
- ✓2023 practitioners' code compliance
- ✓Annual compliance declarations
- ✓A generation of market recognition
02 - THE GROUP ARCHITECTURE
Belize + onshoreThe multi-flag group
The Belize licence as the global-book engine beside onshore entities for ring-fenced markets. Clean routing, shared technology and banking, one brand across flags.
Belize for the global book beside onshore entities; clean routing, shared platform, group banking. Both ends built by us.
- ✓Belize for the global book
- ✓Onshore licences for regulated retail
- ✓Clean client routing between entities
- ✓Shared liquidity and platform
- ✓Group banking architecture
- ✓We build and sequence both ends
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. FSC fees and the capitalisation mechanics follow its current schedules and standard conditions. Itemised in your quote.
Why Belize
Pedigree, re-founded.
Belize offers what new flags cannot buy. Decades of market recognition. On law rewritten for this decade.
✓
A generation of recognition
Brokers have run on Belizean licences since the 1990s. Banks, PSPs and vendors price the flag as known territory, not an experiment.Priced as known territory.
✓
Rebuilt, harder law
The Securities Industry Act 2021, standard conditions and the 2023 code replaced the IFSC era. The diligence questions of the old regime now have statutory answers.SIA 2021 + 2023 code.
✓
US$500,000 of substance
The FSC's capitalisation puts real money behind the licence. An entry bar that filters the register and defends every licensee's name.A bar that filters.
✓
An annual attestation cycle
Licensees certify compliance. Including reputational conduct. Every year on prescribed declarations; the register stays clean because it is re-attested.Re-attested register.
✓
Territorial tax logic
Belize's business tax runs on territorial, substance-gated logic. The international book is planned cleanly, with the structure modelled before launch.Substance-gated, planned.
✓
Working-hemisphere time zone
Belize trades in the Americas' hours with English law and language. The natural flag for LatAm-facing and US-time-zone books.The LatAm-facing flag.
How it compares
How Belize differs from other routes.
Side by side: the highest capital bar in the Caribbean tier, and the deepest market recognition.
Belize vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Belize | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | SIA 2021 - FSC licence | MiFID desks or offshore |
| Capitalisation | US$500,000 | US$50k-250k tier peers |
| Recognition | A generation of brokers | Varies to none |
| Tax | Territorial business tax | 0-30% spread |
Regime
BelizeSIA 2021 - FSC licence
Other jurisdictionsMiFID desks or offshore
Capitalisation
BelizeUS$500,000
Other jurisdictionsUS$50k-250k tier peers
Recognition
BelizeA generation of brokers
Other jurisdictionsVaries to none
Tax
BelizeTerritorial business tax
Other jurisdictions0-30% spread
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belize | FSC Trading in Securities | Territorial business tax | US$500k capitalisation |
 BVI | FSC Category 1 dealing | No corporate income tax | Code capital, vetted people |
 Cayman Islands | CIMA SIB licence | No corporate income tax | CI$100k net worth, CI$10k annual |
 Bahamas | SCB registration + CFD Rules | No corporate income tax | 0.5% margin floor, NBP |
BelizeLicense typeFSC Trading in Securities
TaxationTerritorial business tax
RequirementsUS$500k capitalisation
BVILicense typeFSC Category 1 dealing
TaxationNo corporate income tax
RequirementsCode capital, vetted people
Cayman IslandsLicense typeCIMA SIB licence
TaxationNo corporate income tax
RequirementsCI$100k net worth, CI$10k annual
BahamasLicense typeSCB registration + CFD Rules
TaxationNo corporate income tax
Requirements0.5% margin floor, NBP
Before you apply
Requirements for the Belize licence.Requirements for the licence.
The FSC licenses capitalised, condition-compliant businesses and re-tests them annually. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Belizean company. Structured for the licence, with fit-and-proper owners disclosed to UBO level.
02
Capitalisation. US$500,000 per the FSC's requirements, evidenced and maintained.
03
Standard conditions. The licence's attached conditions read, mapped and buildable before filing.
04
Fit-and-proper people. Directors and managers with clean records the FSC can verify.
05
Business plan. The dealing model, target markets and financials the Commission can interrogate.
06
2023 code compliance. The practitioners' code of conduct implemented in policies and practice.
07
Client money arrangements. Segregation and the banking architecture documented before launch.
08
AML/CFT programme. KYC, screening and reporting under the MLTPA, with named officers.
09
Annual declarations. The compliance certification calendar owned from day one.
10
Local presence. Registered office and the operational footprint the FSC's practice expects.
01
Belizean company, fit owners.
02
US$500,000 capitalised.
03
Conditions mapped pre-filing.
04
Clean, verifiable people.
05
Interrogable business plan.
06
2023 code implemented.
07
Client money designed.
08
AML under the MLTPA.
09
Declaration calendar owned.
10
Real local footprint.
Reflects the Securities Industry Act 2021, FSC standard conditions and the 2023 practitioners' code as of 2026.SIA 2021 + standard conditions + 2023 code.
How it works
From first call to the FSC register.
01
Architecture and strategy
Standalone or group build, markets and banking plan. Fixed in writing before any drafting.Standalone or group - fixed.
02
Company and capitalisation
Belizean entity, US$500,000 evidenced and the people papers assembled.US$500k evidenced.
03
The application file
Business plan, conditions mapping, code-compliant policies. Complete at filing.Conditions-complete.
04
FSC review
Question rounds answered - 4-8 months realistic end to end.4-8 months realistic.
05
Licence and launch
Register entry, declaration calendar set, banking live. The re-founded flag at work.Declarations on calendar.
Quick facts
RegulatorFSC Belize
FrameworkSIA 2021
LicenceTrading in Securities
CapitalisationUS$500,000
Conduct2023 code + conditions
AttestationAnnual declarations
Realistic timeline4-8 months
TaxTerritorial · substance-gated
The FSC licenses to its conditions and re-tests annually. Building the machinery once, properly, is the entire game, and our job.
On the ground in Belize
Run from our Belize City office.
Prifinance - Belize
Belize City · Belize
Belize City, Belize
01
Belizean company formation
Incorporation, structure and the corporate layer the FSC expects. Built for the licence from day one.Built for the licence.
02
The FSC file
Business plan, capitalisation evidence, conditions mapping and people papers. Drafted end to end and defended through the rounds.Conditions-mapped.
03
Conditions and code
The standard conditions and 2023 code turned into policies, systems and calendars. Compliance as machinery, not memos.Policies that run.
04
Banking and rails
Introductions to the banks and PSPs that have worked with Belizean brokers for decades. Sequenced with the licence.Decades-old rails.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of forex brokers in Belize.
Territorial logic, substance-gated. The post-reform Belize is planned deliberately, and works.
Business tax on receipts
Belize taxes business receipts by category rather than net profit in the classic sense. The dealing book is modelled against the applicable category before launch.Category modelling.
Territorial, substance-gated
Foreign-source income sits outside the net on territorial logic. With substance rules deciding where income is actually sourced. The structure is planned around them, explicitly.Substance decides source.
The IBC era ended in 2019
Belize retired blanket IBC exemptions. The modern planning is category, source and substance, not a magic wrapper.No magic wrappers.
GST on domestic supplies
Belize's GST touches domestic consumption. The international dealing book sits largely outside it.Book sits outside.
Substance is a real line
Office, people and spend in Belize are both the FSC's expectation and the tax logic's gate. One investment, planned once.One investment, gated.
Thin treaty network
Belize's treaty base is thin. Group structures above the entity are paired deliberately with treaty jurisdictions where corridors need them.Pair deliberately.
Tax summary
SystemBusiness tax on receipts
LogicTerritorial · substance-gated
ReformIBC era ended 2019
GSTDomestic supplies
TreatiesThin - pair deliberately
*Per the Belize Tax Service as of 2026. Category rates and substance outcomes are modelled per structure, case by case.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Belizean company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed broker.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Belize · FSC
Launch your forex project in Belize with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation to the Trading in Securities licence, capitalisation, conditions compliance and the annual declaration calendar - run through our Belize City office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Belize the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Belize forex licence: frequent questions.
What licence does a forex broker need in Belize?+
The Trading in Securities licence from the Financial Services Commission under the Securities Industry Act 2021 - the post-IFSC regime, with standard conditions attached to the licence and the 2023 practitioners' code binding conduct.
What capital is required?+
The FSC's capitalisation requirements put US$500,000 behind a derivatives-trading licensee - evidenced at licensing and maintained. It is the highest bar in the Caribbean offshore tier, and it is why the flag still converts.
What are the standard conditions?+
Conditions attached to every licence covering conduct, reporting and operations - licensees certify compliance with them annually on prescribed declaration forms, including that their business will not damage Belize's reputation.
How long does licensing take?+
Realistically 4-8 months end to end including company formation, capitalisation and the FSC's question rounds - a conditions-mapped, complete first filing is the speed lever.
Can a Belize licence serve EU, UK or US retail?+
No - ring-fenced retail markets need their own licences. The Belize book is the global one; groups pair the licence with onshore entities where regulated retail matters, and we structure both ends.
How are Belizean brokers taxed?+
Belize runs business tax on receipts with territorial, substance-gated logic; the blanket IBC exemptions ended in 2019. GST touches domestic supplies, the treaty network is thin - the structure is modelled per category and corridor before launch.
What changed from the old IFSC regime?+
Everything structural: the FSC absorbed the IFSC, the Securities Industry Act 2021 replaced the old framework, capitalisation rose to US$500,000, the 2023 code bound conduct and annual declarations re-test the register - the era's diligence questions now have statutory answers.
Why do banks still like the flag?+
A generation of brokers ran on Belizean licences - the flag is known territory priced accordingly, and the reform raised the floor under every remaining licensee. Recognition plus a harder rulebook is a rare combination in this tier.
Belize or the Bahamas for a Caribbean flag?+
The Bahamas sells a written CFD rulebook at a risk-based capital formula; Belize sells deeper historic recognition at a flat US$500,000 bar. LatAm-facing dealing desks often pick Belize; product-rule-sensitive groups pick Nassau. We model both.
Why Prifinance for Belize?+
A Belize City presence, the conditions and code built into machinery, the capitalisation and banking sequenced properly and both ends of the group structured under one roof.
What licence?+
FSC Trading in Securities.
Capital?+
US$500,000.
Conditions?+
Attached, annually attested.
How long?+
4-8 months realistic.
EU retail?+
No - global book.
Taxes?+
Territorial, substance-gated.
Post-IFSC?+
Harder law, higher bar.
Banks?+
Know the flag well.
Or Bahamas?+
Recognition vs rulebook.
Why you?+
Machinery, not memos.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
Start today
One message away from your Belize forex licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Belize route fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Financial Services Commission of Belize (FSC) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.